Athena Lives (The Little Mermaid)
by Scarlett L
Summary: Athena, mother of seven, wife of Triton, and Queen of the sea, is thought to have died, killed by a pirate ship. But what if she hadn't? What if she had been captured, kept by a human for years? What if, after Ariel and Eric got married, she emerged back into the world? (Rated T just to be safe)
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Hello! This is actually my first fanfiction (that I have posted) and so reviews are appreciated. Not really much to say here... Oh! Um, these chapters are short, but I will try my absolute hardest to post them daily on Monday and Friday. At some points I will post two 'chapters' at once. On the same page. The viewpoints change during the story, so you might want to pay attention to that. I own none of the characters except the Duke (so far. I don't know what I will do later. But I'll say so.) Okay. This is too long. I'm just so exited! Here we go!**

"What would I give to live where you are? What would I pay to stay here beside you, what would I do to see you, smiling at me?"

That voice. She knew that voice.

Eyes as blue as the sea jolted open. Those same electric blue eyes searched the owner's surroundings with fear in their depths. The mermaid who belonged to those eyes was gorgeous- or she would be if she wasn't so weathered down by time and pain. But years of belonging to a pompous duke- far too inland for her taste- being shown off to guests had taken its toll. The once pristine nails on the delicate fingers had been worn down by attempts to open the confining tank she was in. The callouses on those porcelain hands were from pressing against the top of the tank desperately. The premature wrinkles on her lovely face were due to the lack of salt water in that cursed tank. This astounding beauty had faded from her years of terrible sadness and loneliness. But today something was different.

There had been a beautiful song, one of such pure joy that this trapped beauty had heard it. The amount of happiness in those notes had moved her to tears- not that you could tell, underwater as she was. But they were there, and a new determination filled the faded mermaid. She ricocheted across the tank, searching for a weakness in the glass, some way of escaping. "Come on, Athena, you are a Queen! You can do this!" Yes, this broken mermaid was the amazing Queen of Atlantica, beloved bride of King Triton, and mother of seven little merchildren. But she had been ripped away from that, from them, from all she loved. The only things she had left were memories. Memories of a better time and place, of love and laughter, peace and joy, pure happiness and bliss.

After hours of beating against the resilient glass, Athena gave up. She sank to the cold bottom of the tank, breathing heavily and crying. That voice... Whose voice was that? She could almost place it; it was on the tip of her tongue. But she just couldn't make it tumble off her tongue. With a sigh, Athena scooched to the corner of the tank where she had put a blanket and a little pile of sand and settled down to rest. But behind her eyelids, images of home and family danced. Athena wished she could have broken through the glass, but even if she could have, it wouldn't have mattered. She could never make it home.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello! Sorry I didn't post yesterday. I know I said I would, but I spent like an hour or two trying to figure out how to post a new chapter. Sorry! But obviously, I got it figured out, and here this is. A day late, yes, but still here! Thanks so much for the reviews and follows (both of the story and of me)!**

Ariel and Eric

Ariel and Eric had taken their honeymoon and basked in each other's love, and after, decided to explore the kingdom they were due of ruling. Ariel was astounded by all the human things, let alone politics and traditions. But she didn't worry too much about that- Eric would help her. Right now, they were on the way to the Duke of Seawise. Seawise was another seaside town inhabited by the same average people as in any other fishing town, but these people were amazing to Ariel. To the surprise of Eric, she took the time to get to know everyone she met. With each new person, she found her fascination growing. Between the bakers and their wives, or the shoemaker or the apple-picker, she was hooked into the human world. Eric had trouble pulling her away from a fisherman. "How could you do that to poor, innocent fish?"

"Ma'am, I don't want to but I got to provide for my family."

"But those fish have families too!"

"Yeah. Sure as the mermaids below." Ariel opened her mouth to respond, but Eric took her arm and dragged her away. "Eric! He needs to know the truth! They all do!"

"Ariel, believe me, I know. But we have to wait, or people will never trust what we say. Okay?" She thought for a moment. "Okay," she said with a sigh. He looked at her sympathetically. "Change takes time, okay? I know you want your father and sisters to walk through the kingdom with us without being gawked at, but that is going to take some time."

"Eric, I know. But all these people, they might never accept it. I just want both these worlds that I love so much to be connected."

"Ariel, let's go see the Duke of Seawise! We have to anyway, and it might be what we need to take our minds off of this." Ariel visibly brightened. "Okay!"

Athena

I woke up to the sound of trumpets. Trumpets? Why? And why were they so loud? The last time the trumpets played was when the Duke brought some of his rich friends to gawk at me. No! No, no, no! I want to go home! I can't bear this anymore. I know what I have to do. My last resort. I backed up further into the corner I was in. I closed my eyes and dreamed of Atlantica. Tears shed from my eyes like they were cursed to. "Triton," I breathed. And then I propelled myself forward, headfirst, into the corner of the tank.


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry I haven't posted in so long. I've decided to change the posting date to just Fridays, and possibly Wednesdays if there is an extra chapter available. Thanks for all the reviews!**

Ariel

While we were greeting the Duke of Seawise, I heard a loud crash. The Duke turned sharply, as if there was something important of his that had made that crash. "If you will just excuse me for a moment-"

"Why, Duke, there wouldn't be anything wrong, would there?" Eric questioned. I saw the Duke's eyes shift back and forth as he tried to come up with an excuse. "Duke, why don't you lead us up to where the crash was so we can help?" I said. In a flash, he looked up, winced, and then nodded. Eric shot me a glance that said, "I don't trust him." All I could do was nod in return. He lead us up two stairwells into a tower and unlocked a heavy oak door. "Your Majesties, I intended to show you this later, but it seems as though it cannot wait." And with that, he opened the door.

Eric

The fallen beauty was just laying there, still and silent. Small pools of blood surrounded her where glass had pricked her. Her eyes were closed, and her pale arms were heavily bruised. Her hair was like a fire, but it seemed as though she had gone out. But strangely, the last thing I noticed was her tail. It was seaweed green, with lighter fins on the end. Abstractedly, I noticed that this mermaid looked a lot like Ariel. That was when I saw my wife.

Ariel

I fell to the floor and heard my knees crack, but I didn't care. All I could see, hear, and breathe was the mermaid lying on the floor in front of me. "No," I whispered as I crawled toward her. I pulled her head in my lap and started stroking her hair in a gesture of love. "Ariel-"

"Don't touch her."I started rocking back and forth, keening while I did so. "Ariel, please-" Eric attempted again. With inhuman strength, I picked her up and turned to face them. I glided past them, the crystal tears on my cheeks freezing into ice. I saw myself from high above, as well as I could see everyone else. I saw myself push past everyone else, with everyone frozen to the spot with confusion over my stony appearance and mermaid in my arms. I saw Eric start running toward me, but I didn't care. When his hand caught on my arm, I just shrugged him off and continued on. I traced my steps back to the sandy shore, still holding the lifeless mermaid. To others, it seemed that I was more alive than her. But inside, ever since I saw her, my heart had frozen with sadness and regret. Once I reached the salty sea, I dived underwater with the mermaid who was still presumed dead in my arms. I let my tears mingle with the ocean as one wavering note filled with regret and misery was torn from my throat.


	4. Chapter 4

**Well, I kind of feel like a failure. I can never get these on time! I will work on that, I swear! Maybe I could set up an alarm or something... Anyways! I'm done talking to myself. This part gets emotional (if you though the parts before weren't) so yeah. Also, sorry for the cliffhanger. It's horrible, but I just couldn't stop myself! Ok. Onto the story!**

Triton

I was overseeing the court when I heard my daughter's call. I could tell how distraught she was, and I didn't know why. It only took a couple seconds for me to dismiss court and zoom up to the surface, right where she was. "Ariel? What's wro-" Before I even finished my sentence, she held up a body. I approached slowly. I lifted one tentative hand, tracing her collarbone. I noticed almost immediately the dark purple bruise that my finger happened upon. I saw the cuts- some with shards of glass, some without. I stroked her once lustrous hair. I gently took her body from my-our- daughter and held her for the first time in years. But it wasn't like it had been. She was supposed to be animated, loving, alive. In fact, just the way she was lit up everything around her. That was how she was supposed to be. Seeing her like this made my heart shatter even more than it had when she died. I closed my eyes, took the triton in both hands and concentrated. I felt the power of the ocean swirl around me, covering me in a pillow of majesty. I took the power and twisted it towards my wife, so that she could be healed. The water covered her in a cocoon, and slowly started to heal her. I touched the cocoon gently, then sent it to the shore until Ariel could bring it to Atlantis. "Ariel," I whispered. "Listen to me." I saw her eyes move from her mother's form to mine. "I must repay the sea- I have taken some of its power, and until it has a semblance of that power again, to will take a little bit of mine. It can't hurt me, but I will be asleep for as long as your mother is in that cocoon." I saw the confusion in her eyes, as though questioning why this hadn't happened before. "Ariel, this power was a very large amount. The ocean is kind, but it needs that power. For all the living things. I don't have a choice, but know that I will be fine. Take the triton and join together with your sisters until your mother is healed enough to come out of the cocoon. By then, you will know how to release her." I took her hand and squeezed it gently. I took her hand and squeezed it gently. "You and Eric shall have the power or legs on land and a tail in water." At the mention of Eric, she looked toward the surface. "I know this is a large burden, but you can do it Ariel. You can always do anything you want, if you put your mind and heart to it. After all, you did convince me that humans weren't all that bad." She smiled briefly, then threw her arms around me. "I'll try my hardest Daddy." As I went limp, I heard her call to me, "Daddy, I love you!"

Eric

As we were running after Ariel, I felt a tingle running through my body. I paid it no attention- Ariel was more important. Because after seeing her reaction to the mermaid, I knew she needed comforting. I didn't connect the facts that Ariel was crying after seeing that mermaid and that mermaid looked exactly like Ariel, only a bit older. But when I stopped at the beach, gasping for breath, I did. I saw Ariel standing next to the mermaid and to King Triton. Who was passed out on the beach. Ariel held the triton in her hands and looked up at me. I could see her big blue eyes fill with tears, and in a flash I was next to her, holding her in my arms. Her quiet sobs wracked her body, and her tiny hands clutched my shirt tight. "Your Majesty," the Duke started. But I wasn't going to let him finish. "You will return to my palace where we will hold a trial."

"Your Majesty, I beg your pardon. A trial for what?"

"For keeping a queen captive against her will."

"A queen? I have done no such thing. That is simply a mermaid, my mermaid, and I own her."

"You own nobody and nothing. This mermaid is the queen of the sea, and that is her husband, the king. Are you so blind as to think I wouldn't know about all the worlds around us?" I turned to face him, my eyes dark with rage. "This mermaid was thought to be dead. Her daughters grew up without a mother, her kingdom grew without a queen. All because you were too selfish to let her go, when, judging by the amount of cuts and bruises she had, she did her hardest to try and break free."

"Your Majesty, I-"

"If you say another word, I will sentence you to death."

"No. We will."


	5. Chapter 5

**I'm kind of afraid to show my face right now- sorry! I've come up with something that should allow for my inability of actually posting on time. At least once a week (probably on a weekend) I will post. There won't be a set day until I look back and see the day I post on the most, and that will probably be the day I post. I hope this works. Anyways, thanks so much for reviewing and following! It really makes me motivated knowing that people do actually read what I write. Thanks again!**

Ariel

I heard Eric in the background ranting to that- that sea cucumber. No, sea cucumbers were sometimes useful. He was worse than that. But I was focused on something else. I took the trion in my hand and dug it into the sand where the water was lapping up. I reached out into the ocean through the triton and to my sisters. ¨Sisters, come, there is urgent news up on the surface.¨ I felt each of them as they heard me and started swimming to the shore. One by one, they came, each of them curious, then horrified, then devastated. They stood beside each other, drawing comfort from one another. They lined up to form a rainbow, with only one color missing. Green. And I took my place. I still held the triton in my hands, and sent through it a thought to my sisters. "We must bring justice to the... the... the creature that did this. We are the law as of now, until our parents awaken." They each nodded to me, then together, we swam into the view of my husband and the others. "If you say another word, I will sentence you to death."

"No. We will," Attina threatened.

The Duke

I saw a gorgeous mermaid, staring at the me with hatred in her eyes. Their eyes. All of them wore a matching expression of loathing, regret, and rage. "You shall be tried by the princesses of Atlantica in Atlantica, with a punishment fit to your crime. You kidnapped our mother, so don't expect us to be lenient," she huffed. The Duke had finally had enough. "That mermaid is mine. All of you say that I kidnapped her when I saved her! I saved her from those pirates! You have no authority to tell me that she isn't mine- I bought her! She has been admired by all my guests, and all are enamoured with her. And I paid for her, I took care of her, she is mine!..." I trailed off when I realized what I had said. One of the mermaids took the huge fork that they called a triton and pointed it at me. A bubble formed around my head, but something was wrong with it. I could feel the breeze run through it. However, before I could comment on it, I was pulled by an invisible force into the water. Slowly, salt water started leaking into my bubble and sneered. "You can't even cast magic right, which." As she slowly turned around, I saw her halo of red hair, and I was reminded of fire and ice, what with her blue eyes. They were certainly more like ice than the ocean that I was in. Then I realized. The angrier that- whatever she was, the more the water sloshed in my bubble. And then? Then the water turned green, green as her tail. "The more devastation you cause my family, and all of Atlantica, the more poison will seep into your bubble. And the more poison there is, the more of a chance that you will be poisoned." She then disappeared from the water I resided in. And I trembled from her wrath.


	6. Chapter 6

**Sorry that I haven't posted in a while! I generally rewrite each chapter two or three times, but this one seemed kind of off, so I had to rewrite A LOT! Anyways, obviously I don't own anything (in this chapter except for the Duke) so yeah. I do have two new characters coming up that I own. Also, I will be starting a new fanfiction and I will be posting once a week on that one. Hopefully. Onto the story!**

Eric

I had seen Ariel in all her anger before, and I had see her in all her desperation. Or so I thought. Because I saw her threaten the life f that man. I saw her inspire fear deeper that I thought possible. But then I saw her return to the surface and stroke the cheek of her mother, and hold the hand of her father. I saw her join their hands together, like they had not been in many years. I held my hand out to her, and she accepted it, raising herself from the sand. Scary as she was, I was not afraid of her. I was afraid for her. I knew that if that rage was there too long, she would become someone else. Someone I would be afraid of. I wondered if that was how Ursula had become how she was. Did she lose someone she loved? Did she lose part of herself with not a fault in her name? All of the evils she had committed could not be condoned but... What if she wasn't even aware that she was doing it? But it was too late for her. Eric would make sure it was never too late for Ariel.

Ariel

I held Eric's hand for a minute, then squeezed his hand and startled him away from whatever distant world he had been in. He attempted a smile for me, but I couldn't return it. I had basically attempted to poison a man. Me. Me, who had a father, a mother, and a loving husband. Me, who didn't like it when fish died so humans could eat them. I cursed a man with deadly poison. I knew it was poison, and I knew what would happen. I could feel the triton latch onto something inside me and create that, but I didn't stop it. And I was not going to take it off him, cure him, or let him die a quick death. Feelings of vengefulness and hatred arose within me, and I didn't have the compassion to squish them down. I pulled Eric toward the sea, feeling the urge to see my childhood home and bring justice to a criminal. I remember my father saying that both of us could become merpeople, and I knew I could believe him. Eric followed me, though gently trying to separate himself. "Ariel, you know I can't go down with you. I'm not a merman." I didn't let go and he gently set his hand on my wrist. "Ariel, st-" Eric was interrupted as a soft blue shimmer surrounded us. His eyes widened as my body, as well as his, shifted. I watched, captivated, as his legs were brought together and were overcome by a wave of dark green, complimentary of my own. As his tail lengthened, it also split off into two parts, his fins. He became slightly paler, and gills along his neck leading up to his cheeks made their entrance. His eyes remained the same color, but elongated slightly and his pupils narrowed into slits. We were knee deep- or mid-tail- and Eric was struggling to stand. I grabbed his hands, and propelled myself backward, calling to my sisters to follow me. The triton was in one of my hands, and Eric also held it. I frowned slightly, and confessed to Eric, "The triton is always with Father, but he doesn't always appear to be holding it. Eric, can you help me figure out what he does to it?"

"No, child, but we can."


	7. Chapter 7

**Yo, it's me! I would apologize that it's been so long, but I kind of think you guys expect it by now. Oh well! Thanks for all the views and reviews, and I would love some more! I own nothing but the characters I made up. And you guys know which characters I made up. As long as you have seen 'The Little Mermaid," which I think you have, because otherwise, why would you be reading this? I don't know. Anyways, the next couple of chapters are a bit sad (not like my past ones haven't been. I don't know if they are more sad or less. I'll leave it to you to decide!), so fair warning. This might be a bit long, but no one can really complain! If you do, well... That would be interesting to say the least. Oh well. I'm rambling. Onto the story!**

Eric

Ariel's eyes widened as she whipped her head around to look at the approaching figures. Unused to the ocean as my eyes were, I could only see bubbles that should not have been where they were. As the two- as I had determined there were- neared, I could make them out clearly- or as clearly as I thought I was going to get. There was one man, and one woman. The man was tall, rugged, and kingly, seemingly born for ruling. He had dark hair and stubble that created a youthful look, and an obsidian tail. His eyes too were black, but not unkind, and full of bravery and love. He stood tall- how exactly he managed to, Eric didn't know- and the woman was on his arm. Contrary to his tail, she had legs, and her hair was a pure gold, as were her eyes. She had a beauty about her that made Eric want to sit and contemplate it, and was regal and queenly. The air about her- no pun intended- was warm yet firm, commanding, regal, but not without sympathy. Her pale hand rested on the man's arm, and the pair were not flesh and blood. To the best of Eric's knowledge, they seemed to be spirits, but of what he didn't know. At that moment, the man spoke. "Greetings," he said, in a rich baritone voice. The woman dipped her head to them, then spoke in a higher, poised voice. "Ariel, Eric. We are the spirits of the land and sea."

"We are the names in which you rule," the man intoned.

"The names in which you gain your powers," The woman murmured. They seemed to be alternating who said what, like they had done it before. "We are the pair which determines love,"

"And the pair that destroys it."

"We watch over heroes and heroines."

"We grant help in their quests."

"We condemn them to death."

"We give them life."

"We are destiny, we are opposite."

"We are fate, and fate is never avoided."

"But you avoided the pair that is us, and you have invoked our interest in you."

"Like us, one of you is the land, and one is the sea, yet your love has succeeded, which we did not dictate." At this point, I felt like I should break in, but somehow I knew that it would be a very bad idea. "And we are now hopeful that you can right a wrong that has been done on the reigning family of the seas."

"You have only begun this process, and you will find along the way that there is more to this than you realized."

"You shall learn."

"You shall grow."

"But you must gain control of the triton, for you, Ariel, are the only one that can wield it." Ariel gasped. "Wait, but if I am the only one that can use it-"

"Then eventually, when your father leaves the throne and this world, you shall rule," The woman said, not without sympathy.

"But I live on the land now. I am Eric's wife, and his queen. I can't be both land and sea."

The man pursed his lips. "That is correct child. You have a couple more years to spend with your beloved until you will return to the call of the ocean. Yours will be a story like ours- a story of love, and a story of heartbreak."

"A story where you will only be together in spirit, and never as you are now."

Ariel

I started to gasp for breath as the realization hit me. No matter what I did, what Eric did, or what my father did, we would never be together. "There has to be another way," I pleaded. The woman pressed her lips together. "Once your father leaves, the ocean will begin to pull you back with the tide. You will have a fortnight until you will return and take your rightful place. Child, if we knew a way, we would tell you. Our story is similar to yours, and we have no wish for you to be like us." The man pressed his hand against her and smiled, a smile full of pain and sorrow. "We lived in a time soon after the beginning. Life was new, and nothing was impossible. The animals spoke every tongue, as well as humans and merfolk. Our people existed together. So it was no surprise to anyone that we fell in love."

"We worked day and night trying to find a solution to our different situations. But nothing worked. Eventually, more and more people were falling in love, and not all were the same species. As people heard of our work, more and more pressure was put on us for the way for the lovers to be together forever. And we found it."

"As you can expect, it was the triton. We had found it while exploring the island we lived on, and only a merperson and human could reach it. But along with the triton, we found a scepter. While the triton was a weapon, the scepter was very much a tool to be used for greater purposes. The triton was more masculine, and the scepter more feminine. The scepter was five feet in length, and two slim golden rods entwined together to form the rod. On top, a pearl was set inside a groove, and a black pearl across from it. The other two sides had perfectly cut diamonds."

"We took the triton and the scepter back to our people. I held the scepter, as the more feminine."

"And I held the triton, as the more masculine."

"At first, our peoples rejoiced. But then, things started going downhill. They started to demand that we perform feats of magic for them and not everything for two species grew jealous, as each thought they should hold the scepter or the triton. We retained our hold on them, though, as we had found them. But then people thought that one species should have both. Arguments and fighting broke out, and love was lost."

"We knew that our love was to be one of distance then, for our people could not exist together. So we took the powers of the triton and cast the humans and the merfolk away from the island, and created barriers so that neither could be that close again. I ruled over the sea with the triton, and before I passed to this form, nominated the next ruler. You, Ariel, are descended from him."

"And I ruled over the land. But humans started to spread, and they grew upset at me. I did not pass naturally, and the scepter was lost with me. I had nominated someone earlier in my days, and that person attempted to continue where I had failed, but could not. You, Eric, are descended from that person. Eric, you are meant to find the scepter and rule over the land, just as Ariel is meant to inherit the triton and rule the seas. Neither of you can avoid it- but you have time. Rule while your parents regain their strength, Ariel, and spend your time with Eric. You have a couple years yet to remain together until you must go your separate ways."

"The triton will mold itself to your arm as an image, and you will gain more knowledge of it the longer it is there. In essence, it is becoming a part of your spirit, and manifested physically, but it can be removed when your father retrieves it. Until then, even when it is not on your body, it will be a small part of your spirit. The same goes for the scepter."

"We will meet again, fated ones."

"Love each other, as we could not."

"And for now, you might be happy."

Athena

Quiet voices in the background reached Athena's ears. She felt soft cushions under her, and music from far away. She recognized the music, but from where? As feelings of nostalgia and love swathed her, the darkness claimed her...


	8. Chapter 8

**Hello! Just want to let you guys know that I have a one-shot poem up featuring Dramione! It is rated T, so be careful. This is the next chapter, and if you read this, I'll give you a bonus:Athena will be awake sooner rather than later, and I hope to write quite a bit from her point of view. Anyway, here is the next chapter! And I only own the people I made, no one else. Okay! Onto the story!**

Ariel

Ariel drifted through the palace, as she had done for the past day and a half due to sorrow, when she saw a door she knew she had not seen before. Curiosity provoked, she swam up to the elaborate door. It was gold with silver inlays and pearls in the center of swirls that adorned the whole door, creating an ornately beautiful door, making one wonder at the beauty beyond. She cast her eyes around the hallway quickly, before setting a hand on the door. To her surprise, it opened immediately without having to be pushed. Eyebrows scrunched, Ariel peeked into the room. If she were on land, she would have lost her breath. As it was, she blew all the oxygen out in appreciation. She was sure this room had never existed before, and didn't really exist. It was far too large for that, and her father would have taken advantage of its grandeur. The domed ceiling seemed miles above her, and the silver walls glistened, as though the sun was shining directly on them. Golden plants drifted through the current, but latched onto the floor on which they were planted. The floor was littered with plants, but all seemed as though they were meant to be there. Ariel drifted forward, wanting to see more. She was pretty sure that this place couldn't be more grand, what with the silver walls, gold inlays, and beautiful floors. But she was wrong. As she floated forward, she gasped. An enormous ballroom, or so it seemed, was behind the hall- entrance hall- that Ariel had been so astounded at. The room couldn't be described, as nothing could do it justice. But Ariel could have run straight into a cave and gone blind without noticing because of this place. "Pretty, isn't it?" a voice asked. Ariel whirled around. "I'm sorry, I didn't know-"

"Don't worry child. I won't hurt you. This place wanted you here." And indeed, Ariel could feel as though she didn't have to leave. Looking around, Ariel called, "Who are you? And where are you?" She heard a laugh like bells tinkling from behind her, and again she turned. But again, she saw nothing. "You know me," she laughed.

"How?"

"Everyone knows me at the beginning. Everyone knows me at the end. The question is, will someone know me in the middle?" Ariel, beginning to get angry, snapped, "I don't need another harbinger of bad news. I already got that!"

"Bad news? Child, I bring nothing but joy if I will it."

"I'm going through a rough time and I don't need riddles to mess it up even more!" With that, Ariel heaved a sob and spiraled down to the floor, covering her face with her hands. Attempting to disguise her now puffy eyes, she turned away. But it was in vain, for a soft hand took her own and lifted it from her face. An ethereal being stood in front of her, amethyst eyes filled with pity. Her soft silver hair floated out from behind her, and her pale face was graceful and gorgeous in an otherworldly way. Her pink lips turned down slightly, and her dark eyelashes framed those big purple eyes perfectly. Her white robes drifted out behind her, and her tiny feet were free of coverings. She took a hand and used a finger to wipe away a tear that had just appeared on Ariel's face. The thing about that tear was that though it should have floated away, it stayed in the woman's hand and solidified into a perfect diamond with purple in the center of the jewel. She took a strand of her hair that transformed into a thin strand of flexible gold, which she then hooked onto the diamond. "Beautiful, yes?" Ariel, still astounded, nodded. "There is a chance for you and your beloved to be together, in land and water. The scepter and the triton are partners, never meant to be kept apart. If you find the scepter, you can unite the two again, and in doing so, unite the ocean and land. If you will be fair and just, you can rule both lands so that neither have to go without the other again." She paused, latching the necklace onto Ariel's neck. "The closer you get to the scepter, the more purple will fill this diamond." She started to float away, then stopped and looked back. "The triton and the scepter were my favorite items to wield. I infused much of my power into them. I wonder how you will fare. Know that I hope for you, if only so that two weary souls can finally rest." Ariel stared as the woman faded away, as though she had never been here in the first place. Once the lady disappeared, so too did the gorgeous room around her. Ariel wanted to cry out and demand that the room stay, but she somehow knew that it would not be acceptable. So she flicked her tail and stayed where she was until she was in the middle of the hall, floating in front of a wall that once held a door. A door that held opportunity for her and Eric so that they never had to be apart again.

The Golden Woman

"She interfered? She never interferes, she doesn't care what we do..."

"She shouldn't have!"

"She gave us our powers, we shouldn't complain..," she reasoned. He groaned. "She never cares whether we make lovers suffer our fate!"

"I work against you! I try to give them the ending we didn't get..."

"They don't deserve that ending! We did!"

"Everybody deserves happiness. It doesn't matter that we only got it for such a short time."  
"It does matter. I would have died to stay with you... And I couldn't..."

"I know."

"Would you have died for me too?"

"..."  
"Well?" She turned away from his suddenly harsh voice. "I would have, but now..."

"Now?"

"Now you aren't who you were..."

"I..."

"There is no excuse for you to give me..."

"I know."

"..."

"I would still die for you," he whispered. "Even if I can't anymore... I would do anything..." She looked at him once, her eyes filled with unshed tears, then disappeared. "Anything..." he echoed.


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey! It's been a couple days since I last posted, and for that I am sorry. This chapter isn't too long, but it does feature Athena, which I know a couple of you were hoping for. Note- I was going to put in Athena's song from Ariel's Beginning, but it didn't quite seem to fit, so I didn't. So yeah. Here is the next chapter! As always, I don't own anything but the characters I create. Reviews make me happy and inspired to write, so thanks for those who give them!**

Athena

Athena felt... Different, somehow. Like something had happened. She faintly remembered bolting at the corner of the tank- and she thought she had shattered it, but if the water still surrounded her, then maybe she hadn't. Athena sucked in a breath, expelling the saltwater with her gills. Wait, saltwater? Athena's eyes flew open, and even more salt leaked into the water. As she swam up, something seemed to dissipate around her, but she paid no heed. Her tail flicked, and she had to keep from shouting with joy. She was truly back home, now all she had to do was find Triton and the girls- oh, her poor girls. They had to grow up without a mother because of that horrible man! No matter, she would find Triton and make up for it. Somehow. She had to. She turned toward the door, ready to race into the hallway when she realized that she had found Triton. She floated down to the bed where he laid, the one next to her own. "Triton?" she whispered. She grabbed his hand and stroked it, feeling the callouses and roughness. He liked to work with the people, she remembered, and smiled reminiscently. "Triton," she said again, hoping to talk to him and know he was okay and she was really there. She laid her head down on his chest, the proximity to her love comforting. When they were younger, before the kids, she had done this all the time, the 'thu-thump' of his big heart echoing throughout her being. She strained to hear the 'thu-thump,' waiting for it. But... it never came. Triton stayed still and cool, and his heart didn't make that blessed sound. "Triton," Athena whispered. "I-" She squeezed her eyes shut, letting the salt leak out of them. "Please... I don't believe you're... gone." She cried, holding on to Triton's shoulders, laying her head on the chest of the man she loved. After about an hour, she rose up and tried to compose herself. "There is no kingdom without a king," she whispered. "And there will never be a queen without a king down here again." With that she glided toward the window that was open to the currents of the sea. "Triton, my love... I wish... I wish you had survived... Whatever happened... I'll find those who did it. I'll ask them why. We deserve to know why," she forced out. And then she swam into the ocean, never to return again.

If she would have stayed, she could have heard mere seconds after she was gone the 'thu-thump' she had been waiting for.

Eric

Eric had been walking- swimming, actually- down the hallway when he heard faint noises from a room. It sounded like... Well, like someone was crying. He opened door after door, encountered some strange things (a.k.a. The palace kitchens- he didn't quite know how they made it work, but they did), but never found the mourner. He opened one last door as the crying stopped, and heard a woman whisper something. He peeked into the door, and it was as though he had seen an angel, for that was what was swimming away from him. He darted into the room, then realized why the angel seemed so familiar, so dear to him. It was the royal quarters. Triton was in his magic induced coma, and like he had done for the past week, his chest only rose once an hour. The woman was gone by then. And so was the queen. "Ariel!" Eric called. "Ariel!" he tried again. He fled the room and sped around the castle, looking for Ariel. Finally, he bumped into her, eyes wide and panicked. "Ariel," he gasped, out of breath. "Athena, the queen, she's-"

"She's awake?"

"No she's-"

"Come on Eric, we have to go see her!" Ariel proceeded to grab Eric's wrist and speed through the halls toward where she thought her parents were. "Ariel, stop!" called Eric as he ripped his wrist from her hand. And finally, she did, looking at him with a confused look. "What is it Eric? Is my mother not awake?"

"No-well, yes she's awake but-"

"But?" Ariel asked, one eyebrow raising. "She thinks-" Eric halted abruptly. "She thinks-" he tried again. "She's gone, Ariel. She swam away," he said finally. Bubbles flew out of Ariel's mouth. "What do you mean she's gone?"

"I saw her swimming away, but she was gone so fast that it was only after she was gone that I realized Athena's bed was empty." Ariel turned away from him, thinking hard. "Why would she have-"  
"Ariel, don't think like that-"  
"No, I'm being serious. What would have caused her to leave? She loves us, I know she does. She wouldn't leave us behind for nothing."

"Us? A human kept her captive, Ariel, she won't love me."

"A human saved her, and now is not the time for this. Besides, she loved me and my sisters, and I love you, and that has to be enough for her. It's got to be," she said desperately. Eric sighed. "Ariel-"

"Let's just think about why she would have left for now, okay?"

"Fine." They thought for a couple minutes while swimming slowly toward the room that used to hold the queen. Each came up with an explanation, but each explanation was shot down, as something was always missing. When they reached the room, Ariel went over and kissed her father on the cheek. "Hi, daddy," she whispered. She watched him, the only reassurance that he was alive being the heartbeat once every hour. Her eyes widened. "Eric-"  
"Yeah? Did you come up with something?" Ariel turned, her eyes wide. "Eric, what if she thought that daddy was... Well... dead?" His eyes soon matched hers, and they both knew. They had their explanation.


	10. Chapter 10

**Hello! I feel like I should be hiding at this point-it's been a while since I posted anything on this! No, I wasn't focusing all my efforts on my new fanfiction Lectum (shamelessly advertising), but I did have that good old writer's block. Fun, right? But I'm back on track, so don't worry! More updates to come! Anyway, enjoy!**

Athena

Athena had been swimming for what felt like a day or more, but she was almost completely unaware of it. Emptiness consumed her entire being, making her gasp for breath. Her eyelashes didn't stop fluttering, as the tears kept coming. She imagined she could see them, leading her away from her home. And Atlantica was her home. It was where she went with her parents as a young girl to deliver some materials her father had found while hunting. For the materials, that is. Her parents had traveled far and wide looking for precious stones and minerals, and almost always presented them to the king and queen of Atlantica. This time Athena was invited along as well. She was doing twirls she had been so excited, but then again, she was only ten. There were no lines, as no other merpeople were there. The guards had led them to the throne room, and Athena had entered behind her parents, eyes wide in awe of her surroundings. She had been turning around to see everything when she bumped into her parents' kneeling (or however close they could get) forms and doing several impressive somersaults ending with her sliding on the floor until she bumped into the raised dais with all the thrones on it. Athena recalled she had kept her eyes shut for nearly a minute-a record for the young mergirl-when she peeked out through one slitted eye. The king had an eyebrow raised, and the queen pressed her lips together in an effort to hide the growing smile. But what caught Athena's eye was the two merkids. The boy looked to be a few years older than her, but the girl looked to be her age. Athena had attempted to straighten herself and back away while kneeling, but only succeeded in further humiliating herself. She pressed her eyes closed as she tried to keep the tears formed from humiliation and clumsiness at bay when someone cleared their throat in front of her. Embarrassed, she looked up, and the boy who had been on the throne on the dais was right in front of her, offering a hand up. Gratefully, she took it, thanking him and apologizing. A booming laugh, a musical chuckle, and a giggle were heard as all on the dais laughed. The young man beside her bowed before taking her hand and kissing it. "I am Prince Triton."

"I know," Athena breathed back. "Father, if I may, can I invite this family to stay for dinner tonight?"

"Of course my son. And young lady over there, do not be embarrassed at all."

"Oh thank you sire," Athena's father butted in. "This is Athena, my daughter." Upon hearing this, Triton looked over and nodded at the man. Introductions were made, and the night was spent filled with laughter. At the end of the night, Triton had convinced Athena and his sister the Princess Ursula to sing with him. It was a lovely sound, the intricate harmonies pulled off with ease. From that day on, Athena was seen at the palace frequently to visit both Triton and Ursula. Ursula! Maybe she knew what had happened to Triton... She cared about him very much before the... Incident... When she had renounced her whole family, everyone could see that all members of said family were crushed, but she was too far gone to care... Shaking away dark memories, Athena went to investigate Ursula's cave...

The Duke

These... Merpeople were swimming around frantically. It took days, but they had agreed to give him a more reliable source of air than a single bubble. He had been given gills-yes, gills-but was not done the 'dignity of transforming into a merman,' or so they said. But the Duke had a plan. He remembered stories, from long long ago when he was a different man. These stories could still be true, and he could find a place to hide. He was being kept in some sort of barred cage, quite barbaric. However, if he reached out through the bars, he was electrocuted. He supposed on an actual merperson the electricity would do something to their tail, though he wasn't quite sure. All he knew was that though painful, he could still push his way out of the bars. He needed to be very small, but the Duke was a small man, spindly and long. He had only needed the merpeople to be distracted. And now they were. Attempting to ignore the pain, he reached an arm through the bars and sighed in relief at the cool water beyond it. He kept sliding through, wincing as his heart was hit with the electric sensation. But seeing as there was no actual sparks, the Duke reckoned he would be fine. It only hurt as he was sliding through the bars. And he was almost out when he felt the tug. He looked at the cage, and seeing nothing, tugged back at the hand that still remained in the cage. Then he pulled. Then he heaved. It took precious minutes, but he had found enough force by bracing himself off of the iron (or so he presumed) bars that previously trapped him and pulling. Looking around, still the only merpeople there were the ones talking in the corners. " _Too easy,"_ he thought, and swam to the window-blocked by bars- and slipped through. Then he started heading due east, to a cave he had heard about from someone he remembered with sorrow.

 **WHAAAAT? Am I trying to make you feel sympathetic to the Duke all of a sudden? Maybe... Maybe not... All will be revealed...**


	11. Chapter 11

**Sorry that it's been so long! I was really busy last week, and I couldn't find time to write, I was so exhausted! I might not be able to post another chapter this week, because I am trying to make them longer. Also, it was pointed out to me that the tool that I have been call the triton is actually spelled trident, so sorry! At some point I will go back and fix that, but this is here to acknowledge that I heard it (and feel just a little bit stupid. Oh well!). Thanks for all the reviews! Every single one is appreciated! I'm sorry that I might not post another chapter this week, but that is a might! Enjoy the story!**

Athena

As Athena entered the cave, she found herself encompassed in memories. Of the girl that Ursula had been... She remembered seeing her across the table, smiling shyly whereas she had been wholly confident. She had light strawberry blonde hair and gorgeous amethyst eyes, with that same shade of purple tail. Her cheeks had been lightly freckled, but it served to make her seem... Innocent somehow. Athena remembered her coming to the rescue after she and Triton had snuck out, or tripping over her in the library when going there to find some book for school. Ursula had been like the cool older sister but... Younger than Triton. She wasn't jealous at all of the burden that Triton would carry- she viewed it as just that. A burden. She had always gone exploring, but always took books to research the places she would find. This cave that Athena was now in... It had been her jewel. It was something no one else had found, and Ursula made it her personal haven. She loved it. Seeing it so dark and decrepit made Athena shiver. The incident had happened just before Athena was taken... She remembered Triton banishing her in a fit of rage, but Athena often visited. She only received jeers and insults in return, but she couldn't help but hope for... Well, she wished the harmonies they'd sung together could be sung again. Ursula's voice was very different, and she no longer wanted to sing anymore. Athena remembered when Ursula had come floating into the throne room with gorgeous melodies on her lips. She hadn't stopped singing for days. Then one day, it all went wrong. Athena shook her head, trying to clear it of all those memories. "Ursula?" she called, hearing it echo down the cave. "It's me... Athena. I'm sorry I stopped visiting, but I, um, got captured. By humans. I know your opinion on them, so I won't go on. But I wanted to know if you knew something-anything-about Triton?" Athena swished her tail, propelling herself forward. "Ursula?" she called again, then peered around a corner. She sucked in a deep breath when she realized that she had come face to face with the Duke.

Ariel

"Ariel, we've searched everywhere, and she still hasn't turned up. We need to look at the facts here and see if she comes back by herself."

"Eric, I-" Ariel was abruptly interrupted from her spout with Eric in the throne room of the castle by the two spirits who had told them they would have to separate at some point. Ariel narrowed her eyes at the pair, the triton materializing in her hand. The woman nodded to Ariel, her eyes pleading for sympathy. "You lied to us," Ariel practically growled. "You said our love could never be, but another woman came and told us different. I hope for more, so I have chosen to believe her. But that begs the question-why did you try to tear us apart?" The two exchanged glances, the woman's sad yet slightly cold and the man winced and bit his lip. "Tell them," she commanded. "Tell them of the misdeeds you have done in an attempt to prevent happiness while I work so hard against you just to give them an ending we couldn't get. Tell them how I weep every time you win, and how you always win." He looked away. "Our love was pure, was good, and we deserved to have a happy ending. But... We didn't, and if we couldn't, then no one else should!" Ariel and Eric stared in horror, while the woman turned away. "My love-" he started while trying to turn her back. "I've had enough," she nearly whispered. "I've had enough of you and your hatred and unwillingness to forgive," she stated, growing louder. "I've had enough of you focusing on ruining other's happiness when you are ruining ours constantly! This is enough, and I cannot forgive you again." His eyes widened at her tirade, and his lips parted as if to say something. "No," she interrupted. "If the Loving One interfered, as she did, I will not try to help you, even by being here. I can't," she choked out. The merman reached for her again, but she disappeared in a whirl of bubbles. One strand of golden hair floated down from where she once was, coming to rest on the man's hand. He held it close to his heart, and looked up to the stunned pair on the throne. "I'm sorry," he murmured. "If you reunite the scepter and trident then maybe..." He trailed off in thought. "If you need me, call for the spirit of Neptune, the Onyx One. I will help you, if only for my love..." He trailed off once more, then bowed to them-to them!- and floated out of the room. "Well that was interesting," Eric remarked. Ariel swatted his arm.

The Duke

The Duke felt as though he had been swimming for hours, but he kept going. He had to make, for he knew that he could have a safe haven, and possibly someone to turn him back to a normal human. So he didn't stop swimming, using his gills to breath. Just as he thought he would drop from exhaustion, he saw it. The cave that she had told him about. He remembered sitting in the rocks with her, holding her in his arms as she sang. He wanted to hear those melodies again, but the mermaid he caught wouldn't sing. And no one could really equal her, with her-no. He hadn't thought about her in so long, and he couldn't start now. By then he had reached the entrance to the cave, and he set down gently on the rocks and half walked half floated in. He continued in that manner, then heard an echo. He stopped all movement, cocking his head in an effort to hear the words. "It's me... Athena." He heard. "I'm sorry I stopped visiting, but I, um, got captured. By humans. I know your opinion on them, so I won't go on." Wait, was she not in this cave anymore? She had loved him. But Athena was continuing. "But I wanted to know if you knew something-anything-about Triton?" What was Triton? Then he heard a name, one that used to be very dear to him. So she was still here after all! She could turn him back! "Ursula" was that name, he knew her. He started to smile, but stopped when he heard the gasp then the bloodcurdling scream.


End file.
